Bachelor of Science in Aviation & Business Management (COMING SOON!) NOTE: This program is still under review by the FAA. We hope to launch the program
by Fall 2027. For more information, contact Elaine Hendrickson, Winthrop Aviation
Coordinator and ACES Flight School Assistant Chief Flight Instructor, hendricksone@winthrop.edu.
This Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-accredited degree provides two prongs of
skills and knowledge needed to seek employment in the aviation industry. A well-rounded
curriculum of business courses, including accounting, finance, management, marketing,
and information systems enables graduates to pursue a variety of competitive professional
"on the ground" careers in aviation management and administration. The second prong
of the curriculum includes aviation coursework including private pilot certification,
instrument rating, commercial pilot certification, multi-engine rating, and certified
flight instructor. Aviation courses and labs are delivered by the FAA Part 141-accredited
Aces Flight School at the Rock Hill airport, 10 minutes from campus. This program
holds the Restricted Privilege Airline Transport Pilot (R-ATP) designation, enabling
graduates to gain commercial/airline employment with only 1,250 flight hours.
Since there are a limited number of seats in this program, primarily only cohorts
of new freshman students will be accepted to this program for a Fall semester start.
After being accepted to Winthrop, an additional review will be required into order
to be accepted into this program. This review will typically occur during the month
of March and students notified by April 1. Students will need to submit an essay that
describes their interest in the program and aviation experiences to date. On a case-by-case
basis, a limited number of transfer students or students seeking to switch majors
may be considered for admission into the program, depending on their specific circumstances
in Aviation courses/certifications and availability of space in the program.
Students are encouraged to already have some flying experience, or talk directly to
the Aviation Coordinator about the program. The ACES Flight School offers “Discovery
Flights” for approximately $300 so that interested students can see what it is like
to fly in one of the trainer planes.
All flight students must possess, at a minimum, a Class III Medical Certificate issued
by the Federal Aviation Administration. Initially, a Class I Medical Certificate is
encouraged so that students are assured that they can pass this requirement before
investing significant time and funding into an airline career path. A copy of a Class
III Medical Certificate will be collected by the program director before a student
can begin flight training. The cost of this certificate is approximately $200.
While Aviation lecture courses will be offered on Winthrop's campus, the labs must
be completed at the Rock Hill airport typically two times per week. Students must
provide their own transportation back and forth. The airport is 4.0 miles away from
Winthrop's campus; the typical driving time is under 15 minutes. Labs will be scheduled
on specific days and times, although may need to be adjusted due to inclement weather,
for example.
A student dismissed from the program for any reason is not eligible for readmission.
A student will be subject to dismissal from the program under any one of the following
circumstances:
A student does not earn a grade of “C-” or better in each aviation course. Students
who earn a grade of 79% or below on their stage exams in AVIA 160, 260, 370, 460 and
490 will be counseled and tutored, must retake the exam, and must earn a score of
80% or better before taking the next stage exam. A total of three attempts is permitted
to meet the 80% requirement; if all three attempts result in a grade of 79% or below,
the student must meet with the Chief Flight Instructor, who will determine whether
the student will be allowed to continue, any additional ground instruction required,
and whether the student will be eligible for endorsement for the FAA Knowledge test.
A student fails an FAA Airman Knowledge Test twice (failure to pass a particular test
on the second attempt).
A student fails a total of any three FAA Airman Knowledge Tests.
A student is absent for a major semester and was not granted a leave of absence or
did not submit a written request for withdrawal from Winthrop University.
A student does not complete the Aviation program requirements within 6 years of initial
enrollment in program (the program is limited to full-time, day students).
A student fails an FAA-administered practical examination twice (failure to pass a
particular exam on the second attempt). Rare exceptions to this rule will be considered
by the Aviation Coordinator, on a case-by-case basis.
A student fails a total of any three FAA-administered practical examinations.
A student fails to sufficiently progress through flight training to meet flight laboratory
time constraints and achieve a passing grade of "C-" or better on corequisite labs
(AVIA 160L, 170L, 261L, 262L, 371L, 372L, 460L, 490L) by the end of the semester,
to include any additional time afforded the student due to an “incomplete” grade.
The Aviation Coordinator, under advisement of assigned flight instructors and the
Chief Flight Instructor, will determine if the deficiency is due to piloting skills
or circumstances beyond the student’s control.
A student violates aviation industry-professional standards, demonstrates unprofessional
conduct (including behaviors that are associated with lateral violence to a faculty
member or classmate), one or more no-call/no-show occurrences for flight labs, reporting
to a flight lesson/lab or training activity while under the influence of drugs or
alcohol, or demonstrates behavior that indicates unsafe practice. A student is automatically
dismissed from the program upon receiving a third code of conduct violation.
There are significant additional costs to completing this degree compared to a standard
college degree due to the on-one-on instruction flying the planes which needs fuel,
maintenance, etc. The list of lab fees are posted here: COMING SOON
This Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-accredited degree provides two prongs of
skills and knowledge needed to seek employment in the aviation industry. A well-rounded
curriculum of business courses, including accounting, finance, management, marketing,
and information systems enables graduates to pursue a variety of competitive professional
"on the ground" careers in aviation management and administration. The second prong
of the curriculum includes aviation coursework including private pilot certification,
instrument rating, commercial pilot certification, multi-engine rating, and certified
flight instructor. Aviation courses and labs are delivered by the FAA Part 141-accredited
Aces Flight School at the Rock Hill airport, 10 minutes from campus. This program
holds the Restricted Privilege Airline Transport Pilot (R-ATP) designation, enabling
graduates to gain commercial/airline employment with only 1,250 flight hours.
